Charters Take Over Failing Memphis Schools

MEMPHIS — A charter school and a private education company will take over two Memphis schools.

The schools to be run by the new operators have not been identified.

Gestalt Schools, which is based in Memphis, and private Cornerstone Prep received state approval on Tuesday to run one school each, according to The Commercial Appeal. The schools are among those which failed to meet student achievement benchmarks.

Gestalt runs the Power Center Academy charter school in Hickory Hill.

By the fall of 2012, the operators will take over a grade or two at the schools, adding grades each year until they run the entire schools.

The schools to be privately managed are part of the state Achievement School District, which was created under Race to the Top legislation nearly two years ago.